


Rant

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Episode Tag, Episode: s03e08 The Women of Qumar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-02-09
Updated: 2004-02-09
Packaged: 2019-05-31 03:21:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15110750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: "I think I was expecting her to cry or something.  She started yelling." Sequel toIn the Spring





	Rant

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**Rant**

**by:** Kasey 

**Character(s):** CJ, Toby   
**Pairing(s):** None.  
**Category(s):** ECJFic, Toby PoV   
**Rating:** TEEN   
**Disclaimer:** I still don't own 'em.  
**Summary:** "I think I was expecting her to cry or something. She started yelling."  
**Spoiler:** Post Ep The Women of Qumar  
**Written:** 11/29/2001  
**Author's Note:** Sequel to In the Spring 

She left the podium as quickly as she could and I went, y'know, quickly, through the halls to reach her office **before** she slammed the door.

I was just in time. She slammed it as soon as I was inside.

I think I was expecting her to cry or something.

She started yelling.

"They don't NEED the damn base, it's convenient for them! They're trading-...WE'RE trading away principles and integrity and right vs. wrong for the sake of CONVENIENCE and 1.5 billion dollars, who knew morals could be sold for something so cheap?"

"CJ-"

"For we are America and so high-and-mighty that we don't need to save anyone else - unless it's from Communism and Racism, but who cares about Chauvenism because it's not a recognized threat to America because we're a freedom-loving people as long as it's the freedom to do whatever the hell is convenient for us!" She was shouting pretty loudly. "And over here the sisterhood gets so bogged down in freedoms of choice - to give birth or not to give birth, to go to work, to not go to work, where to go to work. Meanwhile a group of women are cursed and plagued with a life without choices - they can't go to the market let alone to school or a job, they get married to a man for the sole purpose of giving him sons and when she can't anymore she gets beaten to death. And, if she should do anything else the men don't like, she gets beaten or killed. What don't the men like?"

"Listen to me-"

"I'm glad you asked, Toby. Well, the list goes on and on, highlights include all crimes such as being out in public without a male escort, violating dress code, or being raped because it MUST be the woman's fault since the men can't control their own damn libidos and it's not their fault that women are so alluring in long black shifts!" She was in tears, screaming and ranting and raving so loudly I figured people thought someone was being murdered. "So now chauvenism run rampant is less important than being able to fuel our jets we use to fight wars against the dangerous countries, countries we don't even recognize because of their government, like Cuba and Korea - yeah, 'cause a Communist is much more dangerous than a rapist who doesn't believe what he's doing is even WRONG!" 

She was sobbing. "CJ...c'mere," I said quietly and she moved closer. I pulled her into a hug, which I hadn't done in a long time. 

"They say the women deserve what they get because 'they' is a group of men taught by their fathers to hate their own mothers...They're punished for being raped like someone who commits a crime...as if they aren't punished enough in any culture, just 'cause of the...in their heads, it's...Like they don't already feel it's their own fault, they then get beaten for it, sometimes until they die..."

"...CJ..."

"I guess that sorta puts 'em outta their misery, doesn't it?" she said with a wry grin.

"CJ, listen to-" She started to interrupt but I re-interrupted. "Listen to me. You're in somethin' like five or ten kinds of pain, you don't know...which way is up or what's right and wrong and why the agreement's even being made. And you're right, a lot of it doesn't make sense, like the thing about Cuba..." I was suddenly struck with the memory of trying to come up with an answer on Cuba and China and the double-standard the night of...God, the night of Rosslyn. "But it's the way the world is run. And you can't...you can't go make analogies to veterans and yell at the National Security Advisor."

"You heard about that?"

"Yeah."

"I-...I'm the only woman with any kind of sense about these things."

"You're going from a non-political aspect. You're looking as a humanist, not as the President's Press Secretary. Which is fine around me. But not, y'know, to the press or military people."

"...It's wrong..."

"Yeah it is. But not much we can do about it."

"Sure we can. Not make the deal."

"CJ, they don't NEED the stuff we're giving them, they could get it from other places. It's not like if we say 'we won't give you tanks if you keep beating women' they're gonna stop beating women."

"You don't know that-"

"Yeah I do. And so do you." 

She sighed. "I've gotta go get yelled at by Leo now."

"For the veterans thing."

"Yeah."

"Yeah, he...wasn't too happy about that."

"No kidding." She sighed again.

"Tell him to shove it up his ass."

"No."

"You had no problem telling me that today."

"Yeah, but that's different."

"Yeah."

"So I don't think I'll tell him that, but thanks for the advice." She rolled her eyes and I let her go so she could go grab the coat she'd abandoned at...some point in time, I couldn't remember for sure when. 

"Good luck."

"Thanks." She started out the door, then grabbed the doorframe and turned back in a move that only CJ has ever done - at least that I've seen. "Oh, and Toby?"

"Yeah?"

She walked back to me and hugged me. "Thanks," she whispered before walking out to go face off with Leo.


End file.
